Lot 43
AN ILLUMINATED TUGHRA OF MURAD III (AD 1574-1595)
OTTOMAN TURKEY, 16TH CENTURY
Auction: 09 December 2026 from 14:00 GMT
Description
ink and colours on fine European paper, fragmentary
Dimensions
61cm x 61cm
Provenance
American estate collection, 1980s; from which acquired by the present owner in 2026.
Footnote
This elaborate and colourful tughra represents the official signature of the Ottoman sultan, Murad III (AD 1574-1595) and would have acted as the headpiece to a longer official document or Firman. The tughra is made up of the sultan's father's name and titles as well as his name and titles, rendering them hard to copy. During the Ottoman Empire, theses signatures served as the equivalent of a royal signature and seal, authenticating documents and demonstrating that they carried the authority of the Ottoman ruler. This particular example is rare on account of its colours and decoration and would have served on an important court document.